C'mon big eight. Baby New Year needs a new pair of shoes

Let’s take a last look back at 2008 at the eight events that shaped Wisconsin and Waukesha.

Waukesha’s Big Eight:
1. The Flood. How often does a city emergency come up where a city handles it well?
2. The Great Lakes Water Compact passes, complete with a process for Waukesha to apply for a diversion. Speaking of water, you can never have enough. Where do we stick the $50 million straw?
3. Todd Gray becomes Waukesha Schools Superintendent. Already we’re seeing the changes. But do we have to have four-year-old kindergarten? Gray has ended talk of referendums and has moved the debate to reforms.
4. The great Frame Park baseball stadium debate. Compared to other cities, when we argue, we argue nicely. Unfortunately, the home team lost. But I predict we have not heard the last of some of the people involved in the argument, and this city will be better for it.
5. Bill Kramer defeating Ruth Page Jones after her squeaker victory over Steve Schmuki. It’s official. The seat is mostly safe for Republicans, especially if the Republican works hard to keep it.
6. The passing of Governor Lee Sherman Dreyfus. An institution.
7. Chris Lufter steps down as head of the Waukesha Taxpayers League. Great work is done by great people.
8. Evil genius Lori Luther takes over as the new city administrator. She sends the other guy to funerals, ribbon cuttings, and to buy lunch occasionally.

Wisconsin’s Big Eight:
1. The Flood. Governor goes golfing with contributors while parts of the state are washed away. Lake Delton still recovering. Golf course got free advertising.
2. Hillary Clinton bypasses the Wisconsin primary. What? Is she lactose intolerant?
3. The state assembly falls to the Democrats. You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!
4. Judge Gableman defeats Justice Louis Butler. State Supreme Court race still stirs political rancor and sets the stage for the Koschnick – Abrahamson battle.
5. Great Lakes Water Compact passes. I know some on the right disagreed, but a generation from now we’ll be thankful it passed.
6. Rose Fernandez leads coalition of virtual school parents and teachers to Madison. WEAC, Democrats back down and virtual schools are saved.
7. General Motors announces closure of Janesville plant. Ripple effects just beginning. Look at Paul Ryan’s support for the auto bailout.
8. Tommy Thompson’s presidential ambitions end in the cornfields of Iowa. I never did understand the logic behind his campaign.

City Administrator's memo on the delayed Northwoods Baseball League stadium at Frame Park

City of Waukesha, Wisconsin
Memorandum

To: Mayor Nelson
Council President Francoeur
Common Council Members
Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Board Chair Rebecca Roeker
Members of the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Board
Members of the Plan Commission
Members of the Ad Hoc Baseball Committee

From: Lori Curtis Luther, City Administrator

Date: December 16, 2008

Re: Northwoods League Baseball

Attachments: Letter from Chad Bauer
Letter from Northwoods League

I learned of a potential delay in construction for the Waukesha Northwoods League baseball project last Friday afternoon, which was confirmed in a meeting late yesterday afternoon. This memo and attachments are intended to notify all parties as quickly as possible.

Chad Bauer informed me that the schedule for Northwoods League Baseball will be released to member teams this week and will be publicly released in January. Due to a variety of factors, Waukesha will not be on the schedule for 2009 as anticipated. It is Mr. Bauer’s intent, as referenced in the attached letter, to begin play in 2010.

The key factors that have led to the revised timeline are the recent changes in the economy and specifically the banking industry that have led lenders to require additional capital and equity that was not originally anticipated. My previous review of business plans and initial financing was conducted prior to the current financial crisis. In addition, a shortage and unavailability of construction materials is reported as a significant concern for keeping the original construction schedule regardless of other issues.

Mr. Bauer continues to have League support as indicated in the attached letter. The Use Agreement currently authorized by the Council requires construction to be completed by June 1, 2009. Therefore, a revised Use Agreement and timeline for project completion will be submitted to the Council for consideration and approval prior to the initiation of construction.

It is important to note that the structure of the Use Agreement protected the City from any financial commitment until Mr. Bauer provided final evidence of financial viability for the full $2 million investment. For example, the 2009 Capital Improvement Plan budget of $210,000 for new lighting at Frame Park will not be borrowed or spent unless an amended Use Agreement is authorized by the Common Council. The Use Agreement approved by the Council has not been signed by the Mayor because we were awaiting final verification of financing. Therefore, the City has assumed no liability.

In regard to maintenance, Mr. Bauer has agreed to complete infield improvements and maintain the field at Frame Park in 2009, as previously negotiated and as a matter of good faith. Therefore, the City will not incur unbudgeted maintenance expenses and the field will be in better condition for the high schools, Carroll University and other users next year as planned.

I will continue to keep you updated on the status of this project as any new developments arise.

Note: Regardless of your position on building the stadium, the good news is that Chad Bauer will maintain the field at Frame park in 2009. Also, Luther's memo indicates that because the Northwoods League will not make their deadlines, a new use agreement will have to be created and approved by the city council.

Plans for Frame Park baseball stadium derailed for 2009

Chad Bauer of the Northwoods Baseball League was unable to raise the $2,000,000 necessary to build the proposed stadium at Frame Park, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

A letter written by the head of the Northwoods League, Dick Radatz Jr., stated that investors for the new team and contractors for the new stadium agreed it "was not a prudent idea" to try to field a team in Waukesha for 2009.

City Administrator Lori Luther said Bauer was unable to raise the money from banks for the team because of the economic crisis.

Consequently, the city will not spend $210,000 to install new lights at the proposed baseball stadium, Luther said.

Bauer had planned to build a stadium that sat about 6,000 people and field a team of non-professional college players competing against similar teams from throughout the Midwest and Canada.

The proposal drew opposition from residents who did not want to see the serene park altered to accommodate a commercial baseball operation.

So despite assurances from supporters of the stadium, the mayor, and the city administrator, it turns out the Northwoods Baseball League was too unstable to support a team here before a spade of dirt could be turned over. Good thing it was stopped before it got started. As much as I enjoy saying, "I told you so," a half-finished stadium is arguably worse than a completed stadium.

Remember the rush to approve the stadium so they could start building right away? The Waukesha Common Council should take the whole process back to square one and do all of the due diligence we were in too much of a hurry to do last year before granting approval to the Northwoods Baseball League or any other group to build an office park/entertainment complex in Frame Park.

Waukesha City Administrator contributes to urban sprawl

Darryl Enriquez reports City Administrator Lori Luther gave birth last week to little Cylis Christopher Luther. Enriquez reports mother and child are doing well. Lori Luther is expected to coordinate Secret Service details for visiting dignitaries from home for a while.

I understand the mayor has given little Cylis his own pair of baby blue Crocs.

(Seriously, the Wigderson family sends its best wishes and congratulations to the Luther family.)

Off their feed

The Waukesha Republican Party met last night at the Country Springs Hotel where fortunately nobody drowned their sorrows literally. My spies tell me there was a decided lack of energy and enthusiasm at last night's "Grazing with the Elephants 2008". Not a good sign for Senator McCain's chances this November.

We'll see if the enthusiasm can be made up by the crowd attending Thursday's McCain-Palin visit which is not in Pewaukee but is actually being held at the City of Waukesha's sports complex. No, not Frame Park, the other sports complex.

Center Court Sports Complex
815 Northview Boulevard
Waukesha, WI 53188
(414) 326-4250

Apparently only events making the Waukesha GOP calendar are at the Country Springs Hotel. All other nominally GOP events must find someplace else.

What's really great about McCain-Palin town hall meeting is that it finally gives Waukesha Mayor Larry Nelson an opportunity to welcome such distinguished visitors to our city at an event that will bring Waukesha so much publicity and national recognition. And we can't wait for City Administrator Lori Luther to show her security savvy at a presidential campaign event once again.

(Note: the Badger Blog Alliance has all of the details for Thursday's events.)

So easy a caveman can do it

Nice to see the city of Waukesha is saving some money by switching insurance carriers. Unfortunately we won't know how much until the end of the month. (Ht: Spring City Chronicle)

Mark your calendars for September 30th when mad scientist City Administrator Lori Luther will present her budget to the Common Council. I'm guessing, but it's just a guess, the mayor will have read it ahead of time and have some input as well.

If anyone has any suggestions for the city to save money, now is the time.

Baseball at the Frame?

Spent last evening at the meeting of the Waukesha Common Council to hear the presentation by the Northwoods baseball league for the proposed expansion franchise. Without giving too much away about tomorrow's column in the Waukesha Freeman (a bargain at 50 cents), here are some observations:

1. Of the 30-plus people in the room that were not reporters, writers, aldermen, parks board members, and city staff, I think it's fair to say that almost all of them are opposed to the proposed baseball stadium in Frame Park.

2. Mayor Nelson, City Admin Lori Luther, and Alderman Litchie are definitely in favor of the idea.

3. Alderman Hernandez, whose district would be most affected, told me that he was undecided but so far contacts to his office are running 9-0 against. Joe Pieper is also undecided, and Alderman Cummings reports her contacts are 6-4 against. Alderman Vitale is begging for more input from his constituents and Alderman Tortomasi wonders if we're going to be able to afford the capital improvements.

4. There is still not a satisfactory answer to the parking question, and the discussions last night were mostly different ways the available parking could be reduced further. Also, we saw no plans for the proposed shuttle buses and trolleys - and who would pay for them.

5. Last but not least, what was revealed last night is how the stadium proposal is really only a phase one. If the team is successful, the stadium will have to expand. The current proposal for seating capacity is only to start. makes sense when consider Madison drew over 200,000 fans this year.

Tied to the tracks

Alexander at A Little Off Main gets to what I've been thinking. If "nobody" is at fault for the train whistles, then it's a failure of the administration. Even if evil genius City Administrator Lori Luther steps forward now and takes the blame (unlikely), it will still reflect on the mayor.

You may try to claim that it's unfair, but so far there have been no consequences at the local level. If nobody is held accountable, the voters have no choice but to hold their elected official accountable. That's the mayor.

I think it's too late to point the finger of blame at anyone else.

If you thought we hated trains before

Someone (the mayor? the city administrator?) at city hall dropped the ball and the necessary paperwork to keep the quiet zones at train crossings was not filed. (Ht: Spring City Chronicle)

The affected crossings are at: Sunset Drive, West Avenue, College Avenue, Maple Avenue, Grand Avenue, Barstow Street, East Avenue, Broadway, Arcadian Avenue, Hartwell Avenue, Main Street, Whiterock Avenue, Moreland Boulevard, MacArthur Avenue, Prairie Avenue and Grandview Boulevard.

This is after, of course, the city budgeted money to change the crossings to keep the quiet zone status.

The whistles start blowing on Monday.

Great googly-moogly! The city budget's on fire!

I don't know why anyone was surprised by the sudden hole in the City of Waukesha budget. Pete Kennedy in the Waukesha Freeman wrote that the city's hope for a federal grant to pay for the firefighters for the new station fell through.

And looking back, Mayor Larry Nelson and the Waukesha Common Council were wrong (or at least most of them).

The city received word a few days ago that federal funding had fallen through for salaries and fringe benefits of nine new firefighters. The city had counted on a grant for $500,000 to cover most of the $659,000 in new salaries.

The firefighters are being added to staff a new fire station on the city’s west side. That station, near Summit Avenue and Merrill Hills Road, is being built as we speak. In fact, the city borrowed about $4.5 million for building and equipping the station. (That figure doesn’t include the dreaded salaries.)

So we have a fire station going up - as the grant falls through. All of a sudden we have a $500,000 hole in the 2009 city budget. That’s a big hit for Waukesha.

What will the city do? Nelson and City Administrator Lori Curtis Luther don’t seem to have a whole lot of ideas. Cutting jobs in other areas of the city might be a possibility.

“If we have to find $500,000 above the cost increases we’re seeing for gas and snowplowing, worst case scenario is that it equates to seven city employees,” said Steve Neaman, city finance manager. That means we’d get nine new firefighters - and employees in other city departments would lose their jobs. (But I bet those who oversold the grant will still be gainfully employed.)

Mayor Nelson responded like he just lost his best friend.

One of the reasons I respect Pete Kennedy as a columnist is that he has actually taken the time to interview or talk to me to get the facts before he writes his opinion column. {I thought it was because Kennedy endorsed Nelson for re-election two years before his term ends. - JW} Unfortunately, that was not the case in his Saturday Freeman column about a federal grant to help staff the new fire station on the northwest side of the city where Pete jumped to several conclusions that are simply not true.

Pete stated that “The city had counted on a grant for $500,000 to cover most of the $659,000 in new salaries.” Waukesha never “counted on” the grant. It was clearly stated when the new fire station was voted on, and again when the grant was discussed, that the cost of the new firefighters would have to be covered in the 2009 budget, and that even if we were fortunate enough to receive the grant, the city would need to decide how to cover the cost in future city budgets.

Unfortunately, the mayor is right. The city passed then-City Administrator Jim Payne's budget with the full expectation that the city would have to go to referendum to fund the staffing of the fire station. I tried warning Waukesha in 2006, and I would be doing my "I Told You So" Cha-Cha if I wasn't one of the poor unfortunates who will be stuck paying for this planned disaster.

We’re going to spend every cent we can - and then some. He even proposes a new fire station in the budget with no plan for paying for the staff other than raising taxes further (if the state caps are lifted) or going to referendum to raise taxes (if the state caps are not lifted). The taxpayers (unmentioned by City Administrator Payne) might be unhappy to learn the proposed site of the new fire station is 1.17 miles away from a City of Pewaukee fire station. The village of Wales has a fire station five miles to the west and the town of Waukesha has a fire station five miles to the south.

My idea of reaching out to neighboring communities was attacked at the time, but somehow the Lake Country can consolidate it's fire department. Now we're stuck trying to figure out how to pay for our new firemen.

A referendum is not going to work. You can't just TIF a fire station. So pick seven city employees you want to let go. Unfortunately Jim Payne is in New Mexico.